評論
打印
Shipmates, have ye shipped in that ship?
喂,船友,你們當上那只船的水手啦?
Queequeg and I had just left the Pequod, and were sauntering away from the water, for the moment each occupied with his own thoughts, when the above words were put to us by a stranger, who, pausing before us, levelled his massive forefinger at the vessel in question. He was but shabbily apparelled in faded jacket and patched trowsers; a rag of a black handkerchief investing his neck. A confluent smallpox had in all directions flowed over his face, and left it like the complicated ribbed bed of a torrent, when the rushing waters have been dried up.
我跟魁魁格剛離開裴廓德號,從碼頭閑逛似地出來,各人都暫時在想各人的心事,這時候,突然有個陌生人,在我們面前停下來,對我們問了上面這句話,他那只大食指還指向上述那條船。他腌里腌地穿著一件退色的外套,一條綴著補釘的褲子;脖子上圍著一條破布片似的黑手帕。天花打四面八方匯合攏來,布滿了整個臉孔,弄得臉上象是奔騰的激流干涸后的河床,如今只剩下錯綜復雜的浪痕。
Have ye shipped in her? he repeated.
你們當上那只船的水手啦?他又說了一遍。
You mean the ship Pequod, I suppose, said I, trying to gain a little more time for an uninterrupted look at him.
我想,你說的是那只'裴廓德號,吧,我想多贏得一些時間來對他連續不斷地看一下,于是說。
Aye, the Pequod--that ship there, he said, drawing back his whole arm and then rapidly shoving it straight out from him-, with the fixed bayonet of his pointed finger darted full at the object.
是呀,'裴廓德號。就是那條船,他說,把整只胳膊縮回來后,又迅疾而筆直地伸出去,用他那象裝在槍上的刺刀似的尖尖的手指,直指向那目標。
Yes, said I, we have just signed the articles.
不錯,我說,我們剛簽好了約。
Anything down there about your souls?
可把你們的靈魂也給簽上去嗎?
About what?
把什么?
Oh, perhaps you hav'n't got any, he said quickly. No matter though, I know many chaps that hav'n't got any,-- good luck to 'em; and they are all the better off for it. A soul's a sort of a fifth wheel to a wagon.
啊,也許你們是沒有什么靈魂的,他急急地說。那不要緊,我知道有許多人就是沒有什么靈魂的。祝他們一帆風順;他們也因而過得更好。靈魂就是一輛馬車的第五個輪盤呀。
What are you jabbering about, shipmate? said I.
你在扯些什么呀,船友?我說。
